Stars of David

November 19, 2009 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Cory Kahaney

If "Stars" had a nickel for every time Jefferson did a good deed ... Marie and Joseph Field received its Award of Merit and Dr. Herbert E. Cohn its Achievement Award for Medicine as Thomas Jefferson University and Hospitals held its annual Jeff awards celebration, at the Philadelphia Marriott. The event raised some $600,000 -- which, in the coin of the realm, is a lot of nickels.

Northern Liberties -- and its developer -- got some northern exposure as The New York Times did a major spread on the up-and-coming region's new Piazza at Schmidts, as well as the builder who brewed it all up, Bart Blatstein.

Joseph E. Wolfson

My, oh, my it's Nancy Meyers: The Philadelphia native has had, put simply, a terrific Hollywood career as director and her next project, "It's Complicated," comes out late December.

It's beginning to look a lot like Dec. 24: Cory Kahaney will host the "Moo Shu Jew Show," the Gershman Y's answer to "What can I do Christmas Eve besides join my neighbors whom I never talk to during the rest of the year and now have to make banter in line at the movies?" With this you get an egg roll: The comedy night will also feature a Chinese meal, of course. But what's the pitter-patter on the roof? Oh, must be the other comedians taking part: Gregg Rogel, Michelle Balan and Brad Zimmerman.

On the Avenue: Larry Besnoff, one of the partners over at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, took part in the Avenue of the Arts social media series, discussing "H.R./Legal Issues of Social Media: What Are Your Employees Saying About You?" Dunno, but make sure they don't have a cream pie in their hands when they're saying it.

Sheldon M. Bonovitz

A tree grows in ... : Attorney Joseph E. Wolfson, who heads the local branch of Jewish National Fund, is now one of the national's board members as well.

Get "Stars" the 3x4 -- here's another board item: Sheldon M. Bonovitz, chair emeritus of the legal eagles at Duane Morris, is now board chair of the Children First Fund of the School District of Philadelphia.

Almost Home scribe Pam Jenoff should feel right at home seeing her book in local stores; she's a Penn law alum and still resides here.

If you've been asking yourself, what's the status of "Recent Developments in Securities Arbitration," all you have to do is give Glenn S. Gotomer a listen. The litigation chairman of McCausland Keen & Buckman planned the course on that very topic for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's session in Pittsburgh.

And if you're in the market for "Buying and Selling a Business," maybe you were lucky enough to be in attendance when Curtis L. Golkow of Fox Rothschild, where he's a partner, moderated a session on the area, also in Pittsburgh, for the PBI.

Home, sweet home, that West Philly campus: Before Larry Gross took over as head of the School of Communications at the University of Southern California six years ago, he was well known around Penn campus as a communications prof for more than three decades. He's b-a-c-k! Not for good, but as part of the prestigious scholars conference project held at Penn next month. Wonder if he'll communicate which his favorite lunch truck on Walnut Street was before he headed out for alfalfa-sprouts pastures in California.